Three of Hearts
by Shinra-ex-SOLDIER
Summary: Marlene was a special case. No, that's not exactly the same. She was a child. Marlene was a special child. Despite her age, she was sharp. She was very aware of a lot of things. Even more than that, she was sensitive. AU timeline-wise wherein the bombing mission is postponed from early December to late February. Also, preferably two years later so Marlene's six years old. Cloti.


**Three of Hearts**

Today was a special day or so she was told. Then again, that's what they would say just to earn more gil. She scowled. What's so great about today anyways?

Red. The slums were painted red. It was rather ominous if you asked her. Red was the color of blood and she knew very well how much blood is spilled for those who live on the plate. She knew first-hand how much blood is still being spilled _by _Shinra. She spat at the vile name on her lips. That's right. Red was the color of the flames that consumed a whole village.

At some point, Tifa didn't enjoy the holidays as much as she used to. That burning point in her life scorched her ideals forever along with a few other things. Her home was in ashes. Her father was in ashes. And her heart? It still burned. Her heart has been burning ever since that incident (because the Planet knows that was no _accident_) and it was fuelled with scorn. Her body would most likely turn into ash before her heart would.

She survived the fire but she hasn't exactly been living.

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~

"You're… Cloud, right?" She nervously asked. Every bit of her sure of his name but unsure of what she was about to say.

Dull eyes glowed at the sudden question. He turned to the source… only to look down. It was the only child allowed in the bar. The same shy one who always hid behind the large leg of the hulky Barret. It was the first time she actually talked to him so he was rather surprised. "Yeah."

Marlene was a special case. No, that's not exactly the same. She was a child. Marlene was a special child. Despite her age, she was sharp. She was very aware of a lot of things. Even more than that, she was sensitive. She knew when something was bothering someone. Or so Cloud noticed. There were days when a certain brunette barmaid's steps would drag or her smile would falter for the faintest of seconds but this girl saw through it. In fact, she'd never let her go until she'd be sure that her role model was more than okay. Maybe that was it. Marlene talked to people when there was something wrong with them. Cloud's brows scrunched up. So what about him?

As if hearing him think, she spoke. "Aren't you gonna give Tifa chocolate and flowers?"

He blinked. That was… unexpected. "No… why?"

Her eyes widened and had Cloud been someone else, he would've probably laughed at the sight. But the girl was serious as she yelled at him. "Because it's Valentine's Day!"

"Oh." He winced at her shout. Honestly, he hadn't forgotten it. It was more like, he didn't have any memory of the date to begin with. His mind was still in pieces.

"Just _oh_? You should take this more seriously! Tifa's expecting!" She huffed and crossed her arms like her Daddy would do when he was mad. Well, her Daddy would also say a lot of other things but half of those she couldn't pronounce yet and the other half was just icky (Tifa told her firmly never to use them) so for now, she did her best to look big.

"She is?" His head tilted a bit, now curious.

"Yup! Every year, lots of guys give Tifa something." Her hands did large gestures in the air. Tifa was a great person so she gets not just good gifts but _great _gifts. Like last year there was this huge teddy bear. There was also that wardrobe full of colourful clothes. And someone even gave her a chocobo! Too bad they couldn't keep it. Point is, Cloud hasn't given her anything yet. "Don't you get it? _You're _supposed to have something for her too!"

"You mean chocolate and flowers?" That's what guys usually do on this day, right? At least that's as much as he could remember.

"Maybe not that. Tifa already gets lots of that. Bleck!" She stuck out her tongue. Chocolates were sweet and all but just thinking about eating Tifa's humongous pile made her imagine her teeth falling off. Flowers were nice since there weren't any in the slums but there's too many in the bar on this special occasion.

"So something else then?" This time, it was Cloud who spoke as if reading her mind.

"Yup!" She nodded vigorously.

Then again, it was a stupid question, Cloud realized. This was Tifa they were talking about. She would deserve anything but the best. She was a special case. No. She was a special girl. A very precious girl. He vaguely remembered of a time where he would do anything just to impress her. Anything ordinary just wouldn't cut it. He may have failed a long time ago (he's not sure, everything's still hazy) but he won't let that happen again.

"I see… Thanks, Marlene." And he was truly grateful to her for reminding him.

"No problem. Besides, you're special to Tifa." She grinned widely.

This (innocent) statement made his head turn. Now he was confused. "I am?"

Her jaw almost dropped. He can't be _that_ dense, right? "Yes, you are! No matter how tired she is, she smiles a whole lot more when you're around." She noticed just how much Tifa had changed ever since Cloud came to live with them. Her light shined brighter and it was because of him.

He shook his head dismissively. "I don't think that I'm special. Only different."

Now it was her turn to get confused. "Isn't that the same thing?"

And then he had the most wistful look on that Marlene has ever seen on anyone. Daddy and Tifa have something similar on some days but Cloud's was just… sad. "Sometimes I wish it was." He added cryptically.

"I don't think I understand." She expected him to explain but he never did. There was just this thick uncomfortable silence. She hated it. The feeling was about to get unbearable when she thought of something. "But what about Tifa?"

He made no eye contact. "What about her?"

"She's special to you, right?"

"Yeah. She's special." _To me._

"Then what are you waiting for? _Go!_" She eagerly started pulling him through the door out of the room.

It was weird. Or was it just strange? Never would Cloud have thought that one day he'd be dragged by a child like this. It was… different but it wasn't bad. And then he briefly wondered why a child like Marlene would go through all the trouble to convince him to get a gift. What for? Then it hit him. _Whom_ for? This little girl loved Tifa. And somehow, Cloud was happy, comforted even, at that fact. Wherever Tifa went, love would follow her. And this time, he'd follow her as well.

He stopped to pat her head. "Alright. Tell Teef I'll be out." It was a bit awkward on his part mainly because he wasn't used to this. He wasn't used to talking to people and most certainly not to kids. But maybe she knew because her grin made him think he made the right choice. "Thank you."

She saw him leave, all the while waving her hand. "Take care!"

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~

"That's the last one." With a triumphant grace, she flipped the OPEN sign to signal that the bar was now officially CLOSED. It was a relief so to speak. "I thought they'd never leave."

Seventh Heaven was no ordinary bar. It was the hideout of AVALANCHE, the anti-Shinra group she's now a part of. It was great to know that sometimes they'd go out for data gathering or surveillance but did they _all _have to go? And on this cursed day of all days too? Tifa could've sworn they were doing this on purpose. To have an _urgent _mission on red day. _Right. _

"It can't be helped. You're just so pretty, Tifa." Marlene quipped.

Tifa smiled and touched the little girl's nose. "Maybe I am but you're pretty too, Marlene." At least she had Marlene with her. Otherwise, she'd rather have the bar never opened in the first place. And there was also another one… she frowned. He left much earlier than the team so he wouldn't happen to be with them. She thought aloud. "It's pretty late. I wonder where Cloud is…"

Cloud was a mercenary now. She understood that he wouldn't get chained to the group like she would be. It's not like she doesn't want to be in it, after all, she volunteered and even convinced Barret from the start that she wanted in. Cloud however was detached. More like, no strings attached. He'd frequently leave the bar and come back every now and then. Like a cat. A chocobo looking cat. A grin tugged her lips at the image. But she was okay with it. As long as he came back, she was happy that he's there to begin with.

But him going out today made her suspicious. Sure, she doesn't care so much for the holiday but the fact was that Cloud was not here. Did he… have a date? Well, Cloud has grown and he has a good face so… she blushed and accidentally dropped a barstool. (Are you okay?) To which she almost stuttered a reply as she thought about how ridiculous her thoughts were. She heaved a sigh.

To Marlene's eyes, she was acting weird. Was Tifa worried? That must be it. She tugged at her skirt. "Don't worry! He's just out to get something."

"Get what?" And before a chance even comes to have her question answered, _he _walked right in. Had she seen her reflection, she would've seen her smile. It could have lit up the whole bar. "Welcome back." To which he just mutely nodded. Typical Cloud. "You must be hungry. Let me fix you up something."

And as she went for the kitchen, another girl walked up to talk to him. A petite girl. "Psst! Cloud! Don't let her get away. Did you get a gift?" Again, he just nodded. She egged him on. "Then give it to her. Go!" And with cunningness, she called her out. "Tifa, come quick!"

Before he could tell her something, Tifa came back to the room. "Yes, Marlene?"

Marlene had thought that Cloud would at least get where she was going at. She looked at him expectantly. Sadly, she expected too much. He did nothing. He didn't even say anything.

Tifa looked at the rather one-sided silent conversation going on between the two. Inside, she was happy to know that Marlene had finally talked to Cloud. That was a start. But this silence wasn't doing any good to them so she tried talking. "Where were you off to this time? You were gone for quite the time." _I was worried, you know._

"Somewhere."

"Somewhere? That's hardly an answer. C'mon, can't you tell me?" She playfully asked.

It made him blush somewhat. Silently, he thanked the Goddess that the bar was just dimly lit. He looked away nonetheless. "No. But I got something from there."

Her eyes lit up in curiosity. "Really? Can I see?"

"Yeah. It's this." He swiftly dug it from his satchel and held it out. They sparkled but what struck out the most was the fact that it looked almost like Tifa's. Almost but not quite. It was a pair of earrings.

"Pretty!"

"You like it, Marlene?"

"Very much!"

He took her hand and placed them in it. "That's good. They're yours."

She gasped. "Huh? But aren't these for Tifa?"

He simply shook his head. "No, they're yours. It's my thank you gift."

"But I don't have holes like Tifa does." To prove her point, she pinched her ears and showed to him that there were no such holes for accessories. "See?"

It was then that Tifa noticed something about the earrings. She smiled and knelt. "Hold on." She did something Marlene thought wasn't possible. She put the earrings on her. "They're clip on. There."

The accessory alone would sparkle but when put on Marlene, they shined. They dangled just like Tifa's which made her all the more happy. Tifa was her idol. One day, she'd grow up to be just like her. She'd dress like her, be a good person like her and kick butt like her. Most definitely the last one. And earrings! She didn't know you could wear them even without holes! This was amazing!

She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ears. "They look prettier on you."

She bashfully asked. "You really think so?"

"I know so." She looked up. "What do you think, Cloud."

"I'm happy that she likes it." He stated it with a tone that was completely devoid of emotion.

"Cloud! Not that!" She chastised him while he just smirked.

It was then that Marlene decided that Cloud wasn't weird like how Daddy would call him (or that other name which Tifa said was for grownups only) but he wasn't just strange either. He would deny it all he wants and say that he was different but the fact was that he's not. He's special. He was much harder to read unlike any adult she'd seen. He's all grumpy to Daddy, angry at the customers (especially the rude ones) and nonchalant to anyone else. But to Tifa, he was none of the above. She'd bring out all sorts of emotions in him like how they're teasing each other right now. Marlene knew she was right. Tifa was special to him. Cloud was special to her. They should just kiss and get together.

She giggled at the thought. But first things first, she tugged at him to which he knelt as well. Marlene promptly kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Cloud."

He blushed. He wasn't used to affection. He remembered vaguely that he never got any from other kids. And he certainly didn't expect he'd get any from kids today. He had no idea what to do so again, he patted her head. "Thanks too. For telling me something important."

She was practically grinning. "You're welcome."

It seemed to Tifa that the two did more than talking. They actually bonded. She was a bit disappointed that she never saw it actually happen but was thankful that it did happen. "I feel so left out. Aren't you going to tell me something I don't know?"

The girl looked at Cloud for permission. His eyes had the faintest bit of mirth in them. "It's a secret."

Tifa pouted. "Now that's just not fair."

They both then giggled at this. "Oh, right! Where's Tifa's?"

"Mine?"

"Tifa's?" Cloud asked. This made all eyes turn to him. Marlene was practically glaring at him. Oh, right. Tifa's present. The silence dragged on.

"Cloud!" Marlene yelled exasperatedly.

"I… don't have it." His face was deadpanned.

"What do you mean you _don't _have it?" She asked tentatively.

"I kind of… forgot it." He said sheepishly. And for the first time since he came into their lives, they saw a new emotion written all over him. Cloud was embarrassed. "I really wanted to get something for you, Marlene, since you helped me out that I kind of got carried away. I guess I also kind of forgot what I wanted to thank you for." He rubbed the back of his neck and suddenly found interest on the floor. "I mean, what's so special about today again?"

"It's Valentine's Day, Cloud! It's the day of love!" As if she needed to tell him this _again_. How could he possibly forget something _that _important? "There are signs all over the place!"

He grimaced. "Yeah. Too much red."

Poor Cloud. Here he was being berated by a child whose age has yet to reach two digits. The scene was just too amusing. It was as if the two switched roles. Marlene the reprimanding adult and Cloud the kid who got caught with his hand still in the cookie jar. Even though they've only just bonded earlier that day, it seemed to anyone who would see them now at this moment that they've been at it for a while but certainly not less than twenty-four hours. And all the while, the only audience to such a spectacular scene was Tifa whom was quiet all throughout the puzzling exchange. Come to think of it, now that the secret's out, how would she react?

"Haha… Hahaha!" Both heads turned to her. She was laughing. Her joy was so contagious that even the one-sided debate was easily squashed. They just looked at her. Tifa was genuinely laughing. "I'm sorry- haha- it's just- pfft- ha… ha…" She tried to stop it but the laughter just came pouring out. After a while though, she did calm down and finally, she managed to compose herself. "Don't be so hard on Cloud, Marlene. To be honest, I don't really like Valentine's Day."

"You're not upset?" Surprisingly, it was Cloud who asked her.

"No. Actually, it's the opposite." And the world suddenly became brighter with Tifa's smile. "I'm really happy."

She couldn't understand how Tifa was handling the situation so kindly. Didn't Tifa like Cloud? She was being too kind to him. He should _man up_ like how her Daddy would say. "But he didn't even get you anything." She pouted.

She gently shook her head. "I didn't say that. He did give me a present."

"I did?"

"He did?"

It was rare moments like this when Tifa would actually recognize the childhood friend (next door neighbour) whom left all those years ago. She'd occasionally check if he was really Cloud and not just someone who miraculously looked like him. He's a complete stranger. Cockier and distant, not like the Cloud she remembered. But there were precious moments when he would revert back to his timid self. The same shy Cloud who asked her out to the well that night under the stars. Her Cloud.

The very same Cloud who was now embarrassed.

She giggled. "Yes, you did." Without warning, without thought and without even a moment's hesitation, she kissed him on the cheek. Both blushed profusely. Even she was surprised by her rather bold move. "So… umm… Thanks, Cloud."

Today's color was red. Just like his face. "Y-you're welcome, Tifa."

But really, who needed flowers and chocolates when you had this? This sort of semblance of a family. Wait, _family_? Tifa buried the thought. She was thinking too far ahead. That was an idea for another day. _One day._

"So what's Cloud's gift?"

Just _what_ was Cloud's gift? "It's a secret." Tifa winked.

Marlene pouted and crossed her arms. "Now that's just not fair."

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~

Today was a special day or so she was told. And now that the day was over, she couldn't agree more. But of course, for a different reason.

Red. It was the color of her eyes. It was the color of blood within the people they can and would protect. The very same color that dusted their cheeks.

She's been surviving but maybe she's been living as well.

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

**Shinra-ex-SOLDIER**

_You never did celebrate the day of love because love isn't meant for just a day_

_Love shouldn't be just for the romantics anyway_


End file.
